PETALING JAYA, Oct 6 — A farm in Michigan, United States has been accused of using raw, untreated human waste as fertiliser.
However, the farm in question, Kuntry Gardens, says the incident was merely an “oversight”.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) earlier this week issued an advisory warning people against consuming produce from Kuntry Gardens.
“During a routine produce safety inspection, MDARD staff identified that Kuntry Gardens was using raw, untreated human waste on the fields where produce was grown for sale to local grocery stores and direct sale,” the department said in a statement on Monday (Oct 3).
MDARD added that the use of raw human waste was a violation of state and federal laws.
Kuntry Gardens owner Andy Stutzman denied using human waste as fertiliser, saying the matter was an “honest mistake”.
“It was just a small spot, like five feet by five feet, of human waste that got dumped there from an outhouse,” he told WDIV Local 4.
“This happened before the land was ploughed.
“We are going to be testing the soil to make sure the soil is okay for next year.”
Stutzman added that the farm will cease farming and sales for the remainder of the year.
Raw human waste can spread diseases such as E.coli, hepatitis A and norovirus.
While no illnesses have been reported so far, the MDARD urged those experiencing symptoms “of foodborne illness” to seek medical advice.
